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Quite rightly, the primary focus of government remains upon supporting us through the immediate health emergency.
Investing in our public health today is an investment in tomorrow’s economic health. If anything, in the coming days we may see restrictions strengthened as cases rise. But the immediate economic cost is huge.
Our Scottish Business Monitor, published this week in partnership with Addleshaw Goddard, provides an indication of the hardship that many businesses, their owners and employees are now experiencing.
A total of 85 per cent of businesses we spoke to now expect growth to be “weak” or “very weak” over the next 12 months, with the expected volume of activity at its lowest level since we launched the survey in 1998.
Nearly 90 per cent of businesses have seen their turnover affected by the crisis. More than 80 per cent have reduced the number of hours staff are working.
Such effects shouldn’t be a surprise given the scale of the shutdown. Indeed, these numbers are a visible demonstration that the measures to slow the spread of the virus through social distancing are being implemented.
The implications, however, are stark. In our survey, 54 per cent of businesses said that they had less than three months to survive at current trading levels. A further 32 per cent said they could survive for just four to six months.
The government has announced a raft of measures to support the economy. But as the Chancellor acknowledged, even despite these unprecedented measures, “we won’t be able to save every business”.
We are in a sharp recession. Our own analysis suggests that anywhere up to 20 per cent to 25 per cent of Scotland’s economic activity has been mothballed at the current time, with businesses shut down or working at reduced capacity.
Key will be attempting to minimise any “scarring” effects. We know from past recessions that even temporary periods of financial hardship can have long-term implications for individuals, families and communities. Recessions, just like pandemics, come with serious costs for health and wellbeing.
In time, there will need to be frank discussions about what we can learn from the current crisis. But at some point, and when the public health advice says it is appropriate, we must also turn our attention to the practical issue of rebuilding.
The nature of the health crisis is such that any return to “normal” will be slow. There will be many setbacks. Planning out how businesses can start up again, under what conditions, and at what capacity, will take time. Difficult decisions lie ahead for government. So how might these discussions be framed?
Firstly, simply “switching our economy back on” and hoping for the best won’t work. We need a clear plan to support a gradual restart of economic activity, whilst not jeopardising our public health. We need to recognise, too, that all of this will take place under huge levels of uncertainty and a time of stress and anxiety for many.
Secondly, decisions will have to be made about which government support packages can be scaled back and which ones need to be extended. What new measures will be needed to assist the recovery phase, for example, to help kick-start our tourism industry or to rebuild parts of the country disproportionately affected?
Thirdly, the practical issue of gradually unwinding the social distancing restrictions and advice will need to be worked through. At the moment, legal restrictions only force a certain number of businesses to close – such as restaurants, pubs and non-essential retail – with “strict advice” and guidance for everyone else.
Tweaking that advice on a sector-by-sector base would be a start. But the complex nature of supply chains means that it’s impossible to simply switch on one part of the economy and not another.
A phased approach would also make sense. Working with businesses to develop practical rules for the gradual re-starting of operations, including better guidance on social distancing on production lines, processes for staff handover at the end of shifts, and more general health and safety protective measures would be one way forward.
It will be important that any advice seeks to avoid confusion, all the more difficult if advice differs across the UK.
Two important additions. First, public health must be paramount. Second, any discussions about re-starting must be a partnership between business, employees, trade unions, and government.
Of course, none of this will be easy. And it would be wrong to assume that this can be fully planned. Flexibility will be key. One thing we do know is that it will be a long road.
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Independent, not-for-profit and Indigenous-owned clothing label Clothing the Gap has been forced to rebrand after a two-year legal battle with US clothing giant The Gap.
Clothing the Gap will now be known as Clothing the Gaps, and the rebrand will be complete by July 31.
In April 2019 the founders – Gunditjmara woman Laura Thompson and non-Indigenous woman Sarah Sheridan – were contacted by The Gap. The company was given six months to transition to a new brand.
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“We were shocked, and thought, ‘Wow, The Gap … they’ve sent us a letter?’ At this point we hadn’t even registered Clothing the Gap as its own entity – we’d probably made three items and done small runs of around just 1000 garments. We were surprised that we were even on their radar,” Thompson tells Broadsheet.
“We didn’t have any money to fight back with – we just didn’t have the resources to challenge them.”
Thompson has a background in Aboriginal Controlled Health Services. She and Sheridan met working at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS). They began collaborating together on what would eventually become Clothing the Gap in October 2017.
As well a clothing label, Clothing the Gaps is a foundation that funds health initiatives for Aboriginal people, encouraging exercise, positive health outcomes and pride in culture. The business’s name references Closing the Gap, a government initiative and yearly report aimed at improving the health, life-expectancy, employment and social outcomes for Aboriginal peoples.
As Clothing the Gaps says on its website: “At the heart of Clothing the Gaps is the purpose to influence social change that promotes equity so that Aboriginal people feel seen and heard. Our drive is to add years to Aboriginal people’s lives. We use our brand and platform to campaign, educate and elevate Aboriginal people’s voices and causes.” Clothing the Gaps’ foundation is supported by the fashion label’s sales.
Throughout the two-year legal battle and branding uncertainty, Clothing the Gaps has also focused on its Free the Flag campaign, and has continued to produce its apparel with slogans such as “Always Was Always Will Be” and “Not the Date to Celebrate”, perfect for wearing on January 26.
Its striking tees, beanies, sweatshirts, socks and even face masks come with “ally friendly” labels. Earlier this year it opened a physical store in Brunswick in Melbourne’s inner north.
But despite its commendable output and success in the face of uncertainty The Gap’s legal action has been rough on Clothing the Gaps’ founders and staff.
“I felt like we had a dark cloud over us… it was a shadow over all the work we were doing,” says Thompson.
“We’ve been navigating it all without any security about our brand and what we were going to call ourselves into the future. And even though we’re allowed to use the word ‘gap’ in lots of ways, The Gap is still dictating how we use that word.”
On July 4, 2020 Clothing the Gaps filed a notice to defend the opposition to the use of the word ‘gap’ with pro bono help from FAL Lawyers, which had reached out to them earlier in the year to help the social enterprise in its Free the Flag campaign. “That was a turning point for us, because now we could fight back. Because without pro bono legal support there’s no way we could afford to at least challenge [The Gap] in the trademark tribunal.”
The trademark tribunal found in favour of The Gap, and rather than appeal the decision Sheridan and Thompson decided to negotiate a new name: Clothing the Gaps, making an entirely new name and rebrand unnecessary.
“By that stage the brand started to gain momentum during the Black Lives Matter movement and our campaign to Free the Flag, we were building a bigger and bigger supporter base. And the thought of a rebrand became more daunting. That’s why we decided to negotiate. And we successfully negotiated an outcome that means we don’t have to completely rebrand,” says Thompson.
Online some have reacted with disbelief, outrage and disgust. Gamilaroi writer and academic Amy Thunig said on Twitter: “What. The. Actual. Fuck. @Gap you’re absolutely pathetic. Imagine doing this to an Indigenous social enterprise, when their name is in the context of AusGov “closing the gap’... Shame jobs.” And: “... the fact that Gap are on stolen lands on a different continent ... this is utter BS & white privilege and power in action.”
Thompson says with a laugh one of her favourite comments has been: “How can they confuse merch with a message with chinos and polos?”
Others mentioned boycotting The Gap and pointed out the US company no longer even has physical or online stores in Australia, and that The Gap is hardly a household name here. The power imbalance between a small Indigenous social enterprise and a huge US clothing business was also not lost on commenters.
Clothing the Gaps has a new logo and plans for the Brunswick store to coincide with its rebrand and educating its dedicated fan base about the new phase in the social enterprise’s life.
“We’re going to paint the building red, black and yellow top to bottom,” says Thompson. “We’re going to be an Aboriginal landmark and destination in the next couple of months and we’re super excited about that. We want to continue the impact work we do in the Aboriginal community through the Clothing the Gap Foundation.”
To help Clothing the Gaps sell its current pieces, you can now snag beanies, tees, stickers, caps, reusable cups and more with the previous name and logo before the July 31 deadline. Visit Clothing the Gaps and head to its sale tab. As Thompson points out, they’re about to become limited-edition collectors items. “The pieces now tell the story of how we’ve been able to adapt and pivot and move forward and continue to get on with the work that matters.
“We have such loyal supporters. People who not only buy our clothes but support us in the social justice causes that we use our platform to support. So while for other businesses this may have been crippling, we were confident that our supporters would follow us, even if we did have a name change. It’s a credit to the people who buy our stuff.”

domain: news


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One afternoon last August, on a day off from touring with their band Rebelution, drummer Wesley Finley and keyboardist Rory Carey stopped by Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing for some drinks.
This was no ordinary tasting. Cigar City owner Joey Redner and his brewers were on hand, as were Kevin Lilly and Tony Casoria from Tampa’s Rock Brothers Brewing. They were there to help brew the reggae-rock band its very own signature beer.
On the table were an array of brews in cups, bottles, cans and growlers — Stone, Uinta, Ballast Point, Lagunitas — as well as plenty of samples from Cigar City.
“The point now,” Redner said, “is just to figure out your guys’ wheelhouse.”
Eight months later, they’ve found it. Rebelution IPA will make its public debut when Rebelution headlines a day of reggae rock music on June 25 at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Green, J Boog, Stick Figure and Through the Roots are also on the bill for the show, which will double as Rebelution IPA’s official release party.
This is the first IPA for Rock Brothers, a burgeoning music and craft beer empire headquartered in Tampa. In partnership with Cigar City, they’ve created beers for 311, Hootie and the Blowfish and Umphrey’s McGee, among others, and partners Lilly and Casoria are building a brewery and bar in Ybor City. (The latest projected opening date: Early September).
While Cigar City has been involved with Rebelution IPA from the start, this will be the first beer Rock Brothers has produced largely on its own. In a statement detailing the beer, Rock Brothers head brewer Eric Wannemacher described the beer as “the perfect harmony of ingredients. The pilsner and rye malts provide a crisp, refreshing and dry finish, while the fuggles (hops) and mosaic hops bring the tropical citrus and dense herb characteristics.”
The beer was first tapped at a private Rebelution concert at Tampa’s Hard Rock Cafe in March. It’ll be available on tap at select local bars immediately after the June concert; cans are expected to follow in July.
Within the band, Carey and Finley are the biggest beer guys, bringing growlers on tour and planning days off on tour around trips to craft breweries. Each has a cellar of hundreds of bottles back home in California. They’re proficient in the language of beer production; Carey even homebrewed for a while back in college.
“Every day on our rider, it’s local IPAs,” Carey said. “If we have some that we really like, we’ll pick that, but usually, we just want to find something new.”
At that meeting last August, Carey and Finley went toe-to-toe with the Cigar City guys, breaking down specific hops and flavor profiles and describing their ideal beer: An extremely dank, extremely hoppy west coast IPA — a beer, Carey told Redner, that “smells and tastes like weed.”
Rebelution IPA will end up coming in at a reasonable 7.5 ABV to keep it appealing to a larger audience, “so the non-beer drinker can be at a festival and crush it,” Carey said.
No better place to start than St. Petersburg, a city that to Rebelution feels like something of a second home. Tickets to the June 25 concert are $30.
An AP member exchange story.


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Mailbox for Aug. 16
August 18, 2012
Ethanol is not responsible for higher gas prices
My industry, the American ethanol industry, has been battling the fabrication and misinformation about food versus fuel for years now, but the latest campaign to blame ethanol for rising gas prices is so absurd that I have to present some facts for the public.
The average retail gas price in Colorado is around $3.50 gallon today. Wholesale RBOB gasoline is currently trading at around $3 per gallon. Ethanol, a 10 percent blend stock in gasoline, is trading at around $2.55 per gallon.
Ethanol is a .45 per gallon discount to wholesale gasoline and almost a $1 discount to retail gasoline.
Oil prices, which drive gasoline prices, have recently hit a three-month high, and have nothing to with ethanol and everything to do with our demand and dependence on foreign oil sources.
Ethanol is blended at a rate of 10 percent into gasoline so even if ethanol prices increased by $1 per gallon (which they haven't) and gasoline marketers pass 100 percent of that increase along to consumers, that would still only be a 10 cents per gallon increase. In the past month, we've seen a lot higher than a 10 cents per gallon increase in our gas prices.
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Ethanol, during the same period, hasn't fluctuated much, in fact on July 13, ethanol was $2.51 gallon and gas prices were less than they are today.
The fact is, ethanol doesn't drive gas prices, it is only blended at 10 percent and trades at a discount to wholesale gasoline, so it actually brings your price at the pump down.
Any attempt to use ethanol prices as a scapegoat for charging consumers higher retail gasoline prices at the pump is outrageous and fraudulent.
Dan Sanders Jr., Windsor
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Photo Credit: JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock
The CEO of Victoria’s Secret has decided to step down following the controversial statements made towards plus-size and Trans models by Ed Razek, Chief Marking Officer. Last week during an interview Ed was asked if he’d ever considered putting Trans models and plus-size models in his annual runway show.
He responds, “If you’re asking if we’ve considered putting a transgender model in the show or looked a putting a plus-size model in the show, we have.” He told the fashion magazine he was interviewing with when asked about how other brands are starting to become more inclusive of including trans and plus-size women in their ad campaigns.
He continued, “Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should. Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy.” After two years of operating as CEO of VS’ lingerie division, Jan Singer is walking away from her title. Based on the reports, the company, which is owned by L Brands, has been struggling with sales due to the younger demographic.
The company will give more details on Jan’s departure at a later date. Following the amount of backlash received Ed issued an apology via Victoria Secrets official Twitter Account.
It’s too late for an apology. He said what he said and he can’t take it back!
Source: Baller Alert
Written By: Fantasia Nicole


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Dave & Buster's looks for revenue growth as its sales slow
The food-and-games chain hopes an improved menu, higher game prices and remodels will generate long-term revenue. But its same-store sales have been slowing in recent quarters.
After a strong end to last year, Dave & Buster's sales slow in 2023
The owner of its namesake food-and-games chain, along with Main Event, cited difficult comparisons and calendar challenges as sales slowed in February and March. But its stock fell, anyway.


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Gov. Brown: Sign the Small and Neighborhood Business Protection Act
Please join Walmart Watch in calling on California Governor Jerry Brown to sign the Small and Neighborhood Business Protection Act, which has passed through the California Assembly and would require cities and counties to have an independent economic impact analysis prepared before deciding whether to approve an application to develop a large superstore in order to describe the real economic impact the superstore would have on a community.
We the undersigned ask that you sign Senate Bill 469, The Small and Neighborhood Business Protection Act.
Studies have shown that building a big box retailer can destroy more jobs than it creates. This legislation would require cities and counties to have independent economic analysis done to evaluate the real impact superstores would have on job growth and the economic well-being of the communities where they seek to operate.
We cannot rely upon a retailer’s claims that it will make a positive economic impact in California; we must make fact-based choices about allowing these superstores in to our communities. The Small & Neighborhood Business Protection Act will provide valuable information so Californians can make educated decisions about their economic well-being, not simply trusting the unverified claims of companies only seeking to enter new markets. Such retailers should prove that they creates good jobs paying good wages would result in increase income tax revenues for the state, not jobs which where employees must continue to rely upon state public assistance programs.


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Pixel Enemy recently had the chance to talk with EA's Kevin O'Leary about Battlelog, Origin and the possibility of Battle Recorder.
Jay Michaels caught up with EA's Kevin, the Brand Manager for Battlefield 3, to talk about the current alpha build, why they decided to roll out Battlelog, their plans for Origin, and if fans can expect the Battle Recorder to make a return.
The guys at GamerSpawn posted a breakdown of the recently released Operation Metro gameplay trailer. GameIndustry.biz reports that analyst firm Cowen & Company expects Battlefield 3 to sell 11 million units in the first year, The firm previously estimated 8 million, but has raised their estimate due to pre-orders being comparable to Call of Duty: Black Ops from last year.
Analyst firm Cowen & Company is raising its first-year sales estimates for EA's Battlefield 3 from 8 million to 11 million.
The game, already benefiting from an extensive marketing campaign ahead of the October release, is seeing pre-order's "roughly comparable" to last's year's Call of Duty: Black Ops - a title that has so far sold over 20 million units worldwide.
Lastly, Germany Battlefield community site BF-Games.net have returned from the German Battlefield Community Day and posted pictures from their visit. Unfortunately they can't reveal too much right now due to a 20 page NDA they signed.


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Poetizer Launches Poetizer Publishing, an Easier, More Eco-friendly Publishing Platform
PRAGUE, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — While traditional publishing has relied on the cost savings of printing in bulk and overseas, the impact is a heavier carbon footprint and more waste in landfills. Poetizer, the social media platform exclusively for poetry is not only giving people a voice through the healthy expression of poetry, but also a supportive community, and a way to earn additional income through its new eco-friendly publishing platform, Poetizer Publishing. The company wants to be part of the climate crisis solution and make it easier for users to become published poets.
In the past decade, and especially during the pandemic, poetry has had a resurgence in what some are calling a full-on renaissance, most recently fueled by the pandemic. Launched in 2018, the social media startup Poetizer, the first social media platform dedicated to all things poetry, continues to grow despite little to no promotion. Its 330,000, primarily GenZ users in 120 countries are mostly located in the U.S., where people are looking for more positive social channels and alternatives for community and healthy self-expression of shared feelings around life, societal issues, economic and global concerns. Now, Poetizer wants its users to become published authors.
Unless you’re an established, bankable writer, a majority of writers, in all genres, have always had a difficult time getting published and earning a good income. In August 2022, Poetizer Publishing launched the most eco-friendly publishing platform with the goal of allowing anyone to become published poets and generate real income by selling books on its platform with a built-in community of poetry lovers.
Lukas Sedlacek, Poetizer CEO, says that traditional publishing is antiquated and often done in another country in large quantities and then shipped to a country where books are then shipped again to readers or stores. Unsold books typically end up in landfills.
“The publishing industry is the world’s third largest industrial greenhouse emitter. We believe that we can reduce waste and be a more environmentally responsible company by changing the way books are printed and delivered,” said Sedlacek. “By rethinking the process, we can greatly reduce the waste and carbon footprint of publishing by printing on demand closest to the final point of delivery.”
Launched in August 2022, Poetizer Publishing provides an easy all-in-one tech solution for authors that lets them easily and quickly have their work formatted, illustrated, printed, shipped and sold and giving authors a way to market their books to their followers on Poetizer and making it available in its online Bookstore.
“Authors in the US are typically impoverished with 80% earning less than sufficient income,” said Sedlacek. “Poetizer Publishing is the easiest to use platform for self-publishing authors and we can offer them the ability to earn more income than other platforms.”
He added that the complexities of self-publishing platforms today coupled with the toll the current publishing process takes on the environment, the industry is ripe for new innovation that is easier, more eco-friendly and sustainable.
In recognition of World Mental Health Day Monday, October 10, 2022, Poetizer is encouraging everyone to write at least one poem to experience the positive effect writing poetry can have on mental and emotional health.
Poetizer believes that poetry can be a force for good in the world. Launched in 2018, Poetizer is the first social network “born” in Europe and the first next generation social network and publishing platform with 330,000+ users and more than 3,000,000 poems published to date. It allows users to read, write and share poems with the supportive community and also publish through Poetizer Publishing and sell their poem books in the Poetizer Bookstore to earn additional income. The tech startup aims to digitalize, decentralize, ecologize, modernize, and democratize the publishing industry. For more information, visit www.Poetizer.com.
Contact: Jennifer Fortney


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Apple previews the upcoming iOS update, improvements to ARKit, battery, animojis
Apple has released a preview to what is their next major iOS update, the iOS 11.3. Apple's mobile operating system is going to get a fairly ......
Google One is the new, improved, and cheaper Drive (16 May 2018 8:08)
Google has revealed a new service, or actually a renewed service, called the Google One. It is actually the good old Google Drive, one of the more popular cloud services, that has been rebranded ....
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The GDC Summer Showcase Brings Together the Global Game Dev Community Online to Experience Exciting Sessions, Interactive Roundtables, and More from June 27-29
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The 2023 Game Developers Conference (GDC) Showcase begins today, offering an all-digital event designed to unite the global dev community online. The three day virtual conference will feature live fireside chats, interactive roundtables, networking opportunities, new and past GDC sessions with live speaker Q&As, and insights from some of the top companies in the industry. The event is presented in partnership with Gala Games.
“The new all-digital format of GDC Showcase gives us the perfect way to widen the scope and availability of GDC for developers around the world, giving new faces and old friends alike an opportunity to engage with the best of what GDC has to offer,” said Stephenie Hawkins, Event Director at Informa Tech. “The robust three-day event coupled with the charming pixel art world of the Gather platform form the perfect format for the global game community to connect with and learn from industry experts, all from the comfort of their own home.”
GDC Showcase will begin with two days of sessions from top industry experts that cover the core pillars of game development, including Advocacy, Design, Programming, Audio, Business & Marketing, Production & Team Leadership and Visual Arts. These include fireside chats hosted by Game Developer editor-in-chief Danielle Riendeau with Veronica Peshterianu, Chief Operating Officer and Production Lead at System Era, and Game Developer Senior Editor Bryant Francis with Raph Koster, CEO of Playable Worlds, Inc. In addition, attendees can look forward to new sessions from the art team behind We Are OFK and the engineering director for Cyberpunk 2077, as well as live podcast interviews with Rod Humble, Charlie Cleveland and others. Plus, past GDC Classic Game Postmortem Sessions with Lemmings’ Mike Dailly, OUT OF THIS WORLD’s Eric Chahi and Fallout’s Timothy Cain will be streamed and accompanied by each of the presenters answering incoming questions live via text chat.
“We are really proud of the diverse lineup of speakers we’ve secured for this year’s showcase and even more excited that attendees worldwide can access this content wherever they may be,” said Ashley Corrigan, Conference Manager at Informa Tech. “We look forward to introducing new faces to the global community and revisiting some of our favorite GDC sessions with the original speakers available live to answer questions with today’s point of view in mind.”
The last day, June 29, will be a full day of interactive roundtables covering topics including delivering effective feedback, automated testing, tools design, technical artistry, game narrative and more, giving attendees the opportunity to ask top industry experts like Jeff Hesser and Andrew Fray questions about their past and present projects, and beyond. In addition, esteemed game developer and GDC Advisory Board member, Kimberly Voll, will be leading a session titled, “GDC Submission Q&A with Kimberly Voll,” where she will share best practices for any attendees interested in submitting a talk proposal for the Game Developers Conference 2024.
The session content will be available on-demand through Friday, July 14 and on-demand content features captions for English, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin. For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC’s official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.
The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media, including the GDC Masterclass, GDC Vault, gamedeveloper.com, Game Developer Jobs, Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards.
GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information visit www.informa.com.
Hiro Ito | fortyseven communications


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Last time we reported on the situation, Google had been fined $5 billion for antitrust violations.
Google formally offered its solutions to avoid more European Union mega-fines Wednesday, after Brussels accused the United States tech giant of illegally abusing the dominance of its Android operating system for mobile devices.
The company will also let phone makers install rival versions of Android, the most widely used mobile operating system.
Until now, Google has only allowed phone vendors to ship the Play Store app with their phones only if they abide by strict rules.
Writing in a blog post, Google's senior vice president of platforms and ecosystems, Hiroshi Lockheimer, reiterates that the company will be appealing against the EC's ruling, stressing its belief that "Android has created more choice, not less". OEMs had to pick between making Google-powered devices or not - no double-dipping.
Since the revenue from including Search and Chrome helped fund development for Android, the exclusion of those two apps means that Google will now be charging a licensing fee for the Google app suite (which includes the Play Store and other Google services that define most Android devices).
For Google, the change is a major shift for its mobile business.
A 3D-printed Android mascot Bugdroid is seen in front of a Google logo in this illustration taken July 9, 2017. Google will continue to offer Search and Chrome to anyone, and is going to keep signing commercial agreements for preferential placement of the apps on phones - those are just separate deals from the rest of the apps now. In response, Google CEO Sundar Pichai argued that users could easily install alternatives to Google's apps if they wanted.
The firm says that the new options will go into effect on October 29, but only for new smartphones and tablets launched in the European Economic Area.
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Taking Arcimoto’s three-wheeled EV for a spin
The rise of the electric car promises a cleaner future. Arcimoto CEO Mark Frohnmayer believes that we can do more to reduce our footprint by not just removing trash from our air but also using smaller vehicles built using fewer materials. The $11,900 Arcimoto three-wheeled EV is the result of his desire to lower his co2 emissions and the cut down on the space a daily driver takes in the world.
At CES, I had the opportunity to get behind the... well, not the wheel. I sat behind the handlebars and whipped the tiny EV around a Las Vegas parking lot. Meant for quick jaunts around town, the two-seater Arcimoto won't be much help on a trip to Costco. But for the majority of the single person trips around a neighborhood for the truly adventurous, it could replace a second car.Arcimoto calls their car the FUV (fun utility vehicle). On the road, the Arcimoto, even at slow speeds is exactl...
Read more news from Engadget


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Beleaguered ride-sharing unicorn Uber has not made it official yet, but the company reportedly has named Expedia Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to take up the reins as Uber’s next chief executive officer. Former General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) CEO Jeff Immelt was an early favorite, but he officially withdrew on Sunday.
Khosrowshahi also bested Hewlett Packard Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: HPE) CEO Meg Whitman, who was reportedly favored by Benchmark Capital, the private equity firm that has filed a lawsuit against former CEO Travis Kalanick and Uber for fraud and breach of contract. Immelt had Kalanick’s support, but that may have been one reason the offer went to Khosrowshahi.
By some accounts the search process was nearly as much a debacle as all the other recent trials that Uber has to contend with.
Khosrowshahi was the “truce” choice, according to Recode, acceptable to both sides in the board’s dysfunctional selection process.
The soon-to-be-announced new CEO has been the chief executive at Expedia since 2005, and he has grown that company into an international travel giant. An Iranian American, Khosrowshahi also has been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s travel ban on Muslim Americans.
Under Khosrowshahi, Expedia acquired established consumer brands like Travelocity and Orbitz, and even took on Airbnb with the acquisition of home rental site HomeAway.
Khosrowshahi will earn his salary at Uber, whatever it is. In addition to the dust-up between Kalanick and Benchmark, there’s plummeting morale, a corporate culture that has spawned multiple reports of discrimination and sexual harassment, and competitive challenges on several fronts.
He faces a major challenge from ride-sharing firm Lyft and other non-U.S.-based firms like China’s Didi Chuxing. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) invested $1 billion in Didi Chuxing last year. The Chinese firm has attracted about $15.75 billion in venture funding, according to Crunchbase.
We’re still waiting for an official announcement, but the protocol is that Expedia first needs to announce Khosrowshahi’s departure before his Uber appointment can be revealed. Stay tuned.


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Eight months after taking over Chicago’s legendary Maxwell Street Market, the Daley administration has more than it bargained for: a federal lawsuit accusing the city of allowing bargain “counterfeit” handbags to be sold there.
Coach Inc., a manufacturer of luxury leather products, is accusing City Hall of looking the other way while hundreds of Maxwell Street vendors sell knock-offs of Coach purses for as little as $18.
Late last year, the Daley administration terminated its $1.47 million contract with JAM Productions and opted to manage the market in-house with, what McDonald described as, a more lenient approach to vendors.
[...] City management turned out to be a financial boon to a clout-heavy security company owned by three of Mayor Daley’s former bodyguards.
But all of the sudden, the City takes over and get sued? It seems the City's "deep pockets" are about to prove a financial boon to some connected lawyers.
Labels: we got nothing


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--Nike agrees to sell Cole Haan for $570 million to private-equity firm Apax Partners
--Company is moving forward with a narrower focus on the namesake brand, as well as Jordan, Converse and Hurley
--Cole Haan generated $535 million in sales in the latest fiscal year
Nike, which agreed to sell its Umbro soccer gear and apparel line to Iconix Brand Group Inc.
The company got a better return on investment with the sale of Cole Haan, a brand that generated $535 million in sales in the latest fiscal year ended May 31. Nike bought Cole Haan in 1988 for $80 million, plus the assumption of $15 million in debt. The sale price of Umbro, meanwhile, came at a discount to its $565 million acquisition price in 2008.
Nike on Friday said it expects the Cole Haan sale will be completed early next year.
Umbro and Cole Haan make up a relatively small portion of Nike. Combined, the brands generated $797 million in sales in the latest fiscal year, a sliver of Nike's $24.13 billion sales total.
Nike is in the midst of a strong athletic-footwear cycle and new products like the Nike+ FuelBand and Flyknit shoes have generated buzz, though slowing demand in China and rising costs have hurt results in recent quarters.
Analysts praised Nike's divestiture plan, saying it made sense to focus on a narrower portfolio. Some observers argued it can be hard to cultivate smaller brands in a company as large as Nike, as the best designing and marketing talent would often be drawn to high-profile brands like Jordan.
Prior to the asset sales announced this year, Nike last unloaded an individual brand in April 2008, when it sold Bauer Hockey. That was shortly after it sold off discount line Starter in late 2007.
Shares of Nike were up 1.2% to $91.96, as investors cheer Thursday's news of a 17% dividend increase.
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in Express Scripts Holding Co (NASDAQ:ESRX) by 92.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 72,632 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 34,973 shares during the quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in Express Scripts were worth $6,885,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of Stockton raised its position in Express Scripts by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Stockton now owns 11,821 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,123,000 after buying an additional 581 shares during the last quarter. Busey Trust CO increased its holdings in shares of Express Scripts by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Busey Trust CO now owns 114,461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,874,000 after purchasing an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Express Scripts by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 6,201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $589,000 after purchasing an additional 623 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its holdings in shares of Express Scripts by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 15,313 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,182,000 after purchasing an additional 657 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gibraltar Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Express Scripts by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Gibraltar Capital Management Inc. now owns 68,278 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,272,000 after purchasing an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. 84.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
In related news, insider Christine Houston sold 12,898 shares of Express Scripts stock in a transaction on Friday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total value of $1,096,330.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 110,908 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,427,180. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Express Scripts stock opened at $98.19 on Wednesday. Express Scripts Holding Co has a 1 year low of $59.17 and a 1 year high of $98.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.77.
Express Scripts (NASDAQ:ESRX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 31st. The company reported $2.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.42 by $0.01. Express Scripts had a net margin of 4.83% and a return on equity of 25.43%. The firm had revenue of $25.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $25.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.51 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Express Scripts Holding Co will post 9.08 EPS for the current year.
Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on ESRX shares. Royal Bank of Canada set a $101.00 target price on shares of Express Scripts and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 1st. BidaskClub raised shares of Express Scripts from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 18th. ValuEngine raised shares of Express Scripts from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 17th. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $88.00 target price on shares of Express Scripts in a report on Friday, November 2nd. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Express Scripts from $83.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Express Scripts has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $89.07.
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About Express Scripts
Express Scripts Holding Company operates as a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) company in the United States and Canada. The company's PBM segment offers clinical solutions; and specialized pharmacy care, home delivery and specialty pharmacy, retail network pharmacy administration, benefit design consultation, drug utilization review, drug formulary management, public exchange, administration of group purchasing organization, and digital consumer health and drug information services.
Read More: What is dollar cost averaging (DCA)?
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Text: Sofia Deftereou
Kenzo and Vans are pleased to announce a series of new shoe collections for this summer. There will be three instalments to hit stores in May, June and July.
The first includes seven colorways available for men and women in bright blue, white, green, yellow and red. Kenzo Creative Directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim say about the partnership: “Since our childhood in suburban L.A., we’ve been fans of Vans and own too many pairs to count! Vans is one of the iconic American brands and we liked the idea of infusing this bit of American style into the house of Kenzo”. “We are happy to be bringing the storied Parisian brand Kenzo together with Vans. Working with Kenzo’s creative team has been an amazing opportunity”, said Steve Mills, Vans Director of Lifestyle Footwear.


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Toyota expects to sell 100,000 more vehicles this year than it did in 2013 even as total carsales in the U.S. begin to level off. This increase could represent half a percent of market share if the industry meets analysts’ sales forecasts of 16.5 million units.
“At Toyota, we’re confident the auto industry will continue to grow in 2014, but at a more moderate pace,” Jim Lentz, chief executive officer, said in a speech to the Society of Automotive Analysts on the eve of then annual North American International Auto Show.
Lentz said Toyota expects industry sales to total roughly 16 million units, which represents healthy growth, but slower than the past few years.
“At the same time, we believe Toyota is positioned to have another solid year,” added Lentz, who cited the company positive momentum.
“For 2013, combined Toyota, Lexus and Scion sales topped 2.23 million vehicles – our best sales year since 2007 – for a 7.4% increase,” he said. “This year, we’ll offer eight new or updated products to complement full-year sales of three core models, including Corolla, RAV4 and Tundra.”
Lentz noted automakers have enjoyed four consecutive year-over-year sales increases propelled largely by pent-up demand for new vehicles as the economy struggled to recover from the recession. However, Lentz believes the growth now is purely a result of “economic gains rather than pent-up demand.”
By several measures, the economy is showing signs of a more robust rebound, he added.
“First, GDP climbed steadily throughout 2013 and some economists predict economic growth will reach 3% this year, a full point increase over the past four years,” Lentz said.
“Second, the unemployment rate is dropping and is expected to continue declining as our economy gains steam. At 3% GDP growth, employers could add 250,000 new jobs each month this year compared to about 190,000 jobs each month in 2013.”
(Ten debuts to watch at the Detroit Auto Show. For more, Click Here.)
As a result, the unemployment rate could hit about 6.5% and recover most of the jobs lost during the recession, he added.
Steady economic growth and a falling unemployment rate means Americans could start spending more freely again especially on new homes, which is third indicator of economic recovery – housing starts, which increased 23% in November – the highest rate since February 2008.
(Click Here to get the details on the Lexus RC-F.)
This indicates a big boost in GDP, and by extension more jobs and more new homes paint a rosy picture for consumers in 2014 and should lead to increased household wealth, which would unlock more consumer spending.


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If you've spent any time perusing the games and other experience available for Samsung's Gear VR headset, you've probably longed for some more robust experiences. According to Engadget, that day has finally arrived as full games are now for sale on the Oculus VR Store.
Previously, the apps available for Gear VR were mostly relegated to free demos and previews of games marked "coming soon," but thanks to this latest move by Samsung and Oculus, there are at least nine compatible games for sale on the store as of this writing. The prices on those games vary from as lows as $3 USD, to as much as $10 USD (for the puzzle game Darknet). Currently, these paid apps are only available in the US, but more regions will follow soon.
Earlier this week, Samsung announced the new Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition headset, boasting a form-factor 15% smaller than its predecessor and compatibility with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge smartphones. Samsung has not announced a price or release date for the new Gear VR hardware.


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CHESAPEAKE -- The effects of a nationwide data security breach involving Target stores is being felt in Hampton Roads.
'Out of nowhere, two days ago, I find out I got charges from Atlanta, Georgia,' said Jeremy Cross of Chesapeake.
Cross told 13News Now he used his Navy Federal Credit Union debit card on Black Friday, the first day of a widespread hacking event that has affected nearly 40 million Target customers.
Navy Federal Credit Union notified Cross his card had been compromised with more than 400 dollars worth of fraudulent charges showing up on his account.
On Friday, the Target acknowledged debit card personal identification numbers (PINs) along with other information also had been stolen. Despite that, the company said that information should be useless to hackers because it was encrypted, requiring a third party with proper codes to decrypt it.
Angela Hobbs of Chesapeake felt her privacy was violated when someone hacked her child support debit card and maxed it out all the way in Great Britain.
'That's my child's money, that's money to take care of her,' said Hobbs. 'I use it for school and to buy her what she needs and now im out a hundred dollars.'
Both Cross and Hobbs say they are still waiting to be reimbursed for the fraudulent charges.
On Monday, Target announced the Department of Justice has joined a forensic and criminal investigation into the data theft.


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New Delhi, Jan 24 (PTI) Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday reported over two-fold increase in its net profit to Rs 2,351.3 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2022, aided by robust sales.
The auto major had reported a net profit of Rs 1,011.3 crore in the October-December quarter of the previous fiscal, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a regulatory filing.
During the third quarter of 2022-23, the company said its net sales rose to Rs 27,849.2 crore while the same stood at Rs 22,187.6 crore in the same period of 2021-22.
The country's largest carmaker said it sold a total of 4,65,911 vehicles during the third quarter of FY23.
Shares of the company were trading 2.4 per cent up at Rs 8,625 apiece on the BSE. PTI MSS MR


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The new iPhone 12 has already been hotly tipped to increase performance, but now a new leak suggests that Apple is working to make connections between its smartphones even quicker.
According to Japanese Apple rumors site Macotakara, Apple's 2020 iPhone will be using the the new 802.11ay specification, which would possibly allow it to share content at speeds of at least 20-30Gbps.
The obvious use for this is sharing photos, videos and more between iPhones, effectively turbocharging AirDrop for compatible devices (future Macs bearing this standard would also be able to benefit).
- These are the 5G phones you need to know about
- Here's all we know about iOS 14
- Have you seen the new Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra? It's not bad...
However, it could signify Apple getting ready for more advanced connectivity for its iPhone range - in theory, it could help create instant connections between smart glasses or a VR headset (the former more likely, as Apple has long been cool on the possibility of launching virtual reality hardware for the iPhone).
This extra speed sits alongside recent rumors that the iPhone 12 will have another RAM boost, alongside the new A14 chipset inside capable of industry-beating speeds - perhaps this will be limited to the iPhone 12 Pro versions of the device, but it seems Apple is keen to sell its next device on a seamless connection.
A 5G iPhone?
The bigger question is whether Apple is likely to launch a 5G iPhone 12, which seems to be predicated on whether the US has a large enough 5G network in operation by that time.
"With respect to 5G, I think we’re in the early innings of its deployment on its global basis," Cook said during Apple's latest earnings call when asked about a potential iPhone 5G.
However, some analysts believe that 2020 is indeed the year we'll see a 5G iPhone, citing the fact that consumers will need a reason to update their device - plus the rumors of Apple developing its own 5G connectivity too.
Finally, a Tile rival?
The report from Macotakara also suggested that the Apple Tag, a device that attaches to things like keys, wallets and other things you might not want to lose, is finally going to be launched this year.
Much vaunted to appear at the iPhone 11's unveiling, the Apple Tag would be a direct Tile rival, and would apparently be both water resistant the able to be charged wirelessly in the same manner as the Apple Watch (on a magnetic charger).
It looks like the iPhone 12 launch is going to be a big one - we're going to be reporting everything you need to know on the (expected) unveiling of September 8.


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|PS3 / VITA||Japan|
By Ishaan . August 2, 2013 . 12:05pm
Atlus have shipped over 300,000 copies of Dragon’s Crown across PlayStation 3 and Vita in Japan thus far, their parent company Index Holdings reported today.
Index also pointed out that that figure includes download sales, so this is a combination of actual digital copies sold combined with the number of copies shipped to retailers.
Dragon’s Crown will be released in North America on August 6th. You can read our playtest for the game here.


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The size of them!
If you're a fan of avocado, it may feel like you can never get enough. A humble avocado just isn't enough to fill your desires.
We know. We just read your mind.
If this sounds a lot like you, you're going to love Tesco’s new addition.
Introducing the 'Avozilla', a giant avocado that makes the original fruit look like a peanut.
Have a look:
Now, if you're concerned that Ireland won't be let in on the phone, don't panic: Tesco has confirmed that they will be available in Ireland.
In a statement, Tesco Ireland Fresh food buyer Ciaran Doyle said:
“This limited stock of Avozillas is exclusive to Tesco. They are extremely rare and come from just four trees grown by one of the world’s biggest suppliers of avocados in South Africa. Deliveries will be going into eighty of our stores across the country on Friday morning and will be available this weekend while stocks last.”
One Avozilla will set you back £4 and we reckon it's worth every penny.
The giant avocados are available in store from today.


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-Here is a nifty ad coming from DTC bamboo toothbrush brand Goodwell Co. Yes, it’s a cute little spot, but what makes it interesting is that it was created with a small army of volunteer creatives, including agency Undnyable in Portland, Ore.
It’s part of Open for Business, an initiative started by Portland agency CMD to help small businesses with their advertising during the pandemic. The mission is to connect brands with experienced storyteller volunteers to develop creative messages to remind people that they are, wait for it, open for business.
According to Darren Rankin, CMD president and CEO, in addition to the benevolence in helping businesses, it is a way to keep talent in the game.
Rankin noted that the program is designed for businesses up to $1.5 in revenue, though it’s only a guideline and not a hard, fast rule.
So far, 11 small businesses have taken advantage of the program, and close to 30 seek help. The easy-to-navigate site shows 21 content and media volunteers ready to help, with each company choosing who they’d like to work with.
“Our goal is to let people at the business pick the creatives and have them work together,” said Rankin. “The less that we can be involved, the bigger impact this can have.”
“We’re not doing this to benefit CMD,” added the agency’s ecd, John O’Connell. “It’s something that we feel like we put some muscle behind and get some brands some help. It also helps creatives with some downtime, and maybe they make some good connections with brands out there.”
–Doritos says it is committing to amplifying Black voices, with a new “Do You Hear Us Now?” ad and donated media.
-Coca-Cola has paused its social media advertising for 30 days.
-Iconic graphic designer Milton Glaser died.
-Muse by Clio shared some favorite posters by Glaser.
–Martin Sorrell discusses independent agencies, Black Lives Matter, diversity and payment terms, among other topics.
-Busch beer asks fans to record its jingle from the ’80s.


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Apple finally took the wraps off its first 5G iPhones, unveiling a quartet of next generation handsets during an event which also featured a special network announcement from Verizon.
The vendor’s CEO Tim Cook (pictured) hailed the addition of 5G to its handsets as “the beginning of a new era for iPhone,” stating it will enable “entirely new opportunities for our developers and our users”.
Arun Mathias, Apple’s VP of wireless technologies and ecosystems, said the phones also use a custom antenna and radio system which makes them compatible with more 5G bands than any other smartphone, allowing them to work “in more places”.
Addressing potential battery-life concerns, Mathias added Apple optimised its iOS frameworks to allow applications to tap into 5G without using more power, and designed a Smart Data Mode feature which pushes the devices onto 4G when 5G speeds aren’t needed.
All four devices also feature a new ceramic display offering improved durability and compatibility with magnetic accessories using Apple’s MagSafe technology.
The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and 5.4-inch mini come with a dual cameras comprising 12MP wide and ultra-wide lenses. The 6.1-inch Pro and 6.7-inch Pro Max boast a triple set-up with 12MP wide, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses.
Apple plans to release the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro in 36 countries from 23 October, priced at $799 (64GB) and $999 (128GB) respectively.
The iPhone 12 mini and Pro Max versions are due on sale from 13 November for $699 (64GB) and $1,099 (128GB) respectively.
In a surprise move, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg took to the stage to announce nationwide availability of a low-band 5G service covering 200 million people across 1,800 cities and towns, declaring “5G just got real.”
The operator in a press release also highlighted continued expansion of an existing limited-range mmWave 5G service, with deployments in 19 new cities raising its total covered to 55, as it works towards a goal of reaching more than 60 cities by the year-end.
Jason Reed, lead analyst for digital consumer at GSMA Intelligence, told Mobile World Live the iPhone launch should help drive 5G adoption in the US, noting “Apple has the largest and most loyal customer base of any smartphone brand” in the country.
But he added Apple failed to show consumers “what they will be able to do with 5G that they can’t already do on their existing network,” meaning that, for many, the capabilities “will be at best an incidental perk alongside accessing all the new camera features of the iPhone 12”.
Watch our 5-min highlights video of the event here.


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The cooking gas cylinders will cost less from this month.Mar 03, 2018, 14:39 PM IST
The Income Tax department will soon begin sharing with the Petroleum and Oil Ministry details of all "individual" taxpayers whose annual income exceeds Rs 10 lakh, in an attempt to check pilferage of subsidy on cooking gas by the higher income groups.Dec 20, 2016, 10:28 AM IST
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched an online initiative to seek suggestions from LPG consumers across the countryJan 09, 2016, 15:50 PM IST
Modi government on Friday declared 2016 as the 'Year of LPG Consumers' while unveiling plans to make the clean cooking fuel available to all households by end of 2018 and roll out online bill payment facility and transparent gas cylinders.
Jan 01, 2016, 18:56 PM IST
The impact on the household budget could be limited to Rs 100-125 per month at the current level of global crude oil and LPG prices.
Dec 29, 2015, 19:01 PM IST
Tax payers with annual income of more than Rs 10 lakh will not get subsidised cooking gas (LPG) from next month as the Modi government has decided to limit supply of under-priced fuel to cut subsidies.Dec 28, 2015, 18:42 PM IST
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday hinted of stopping supply of subsidised cooking gas (LPG) to the well-off as only 42.5 lakh out of nearly 15 crore cooking gas consumers have so far voluntarily give up subsidy.
Nov 06, 2015, 21:15 PM IST
The scheme entails giving households cash subsidy directly in their bank account so they can buy market priced cooking gas.Aug 13, 2015, 21:30 PM IST
Modi had recently launched 'Give It Up' campaign, asking well-off people to surrender their LPG subsidy.There are about 15.3 crore LPG consumers in the country.Apr 02, 2015, 13:46 PM IST
Modi in his address to a global energy conference last week said that as many as 2.8 lakh people have surrendered LPG subsidy which has led to savings of Rs 100 crore.Mar 29, 2015, 12:02 PM IST
Government on Friday said that it has transferred Rs 7,024 crore as cash subsidies to LPG consumers since mid-November 2014 under the PAHAL scheme.Mar 20, 2015, 17:24 PM IST
More than 64 percent of 15.3 crore LPG consumers in the country have joined the ambitious PAHAL scheme to receive cash subsidy in their bank accounts so they can buy the cooking gas at market price.Jan 28, 2015, 22:41 PM IST
LPG consumers across the country will from Thursday get cash subsidy directly into their bank accounts so that they buy the cooking fuel at market price.Jan 01, 2015, 09:43 AM IST
The government is not considering any proposal to stop supply of subsidised cooking gas (LPG) to the rich, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Wednesday.Dec 17, 2014, 16:25 PM IST
Beginning Saturday, LPG consumers in 54 districts of 11 states will start getting cash subsidy so that they can buy the cooking fuel at market price.Nov 14, 2014, 15:59 PM IST
In a relief to consumers, the Cabinet on Wednesday lifted the restriction of supply of only one subsidised cooking gas LPG cylinder to a household in a month, saying consumers can avail their quota of 12 bottles at anytime of the year.Aug 27, 2014, 19:40 PM IST
LPG consumers will now get 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg at subsidised rate in a year even if they don't consume one cylinder a month, Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday.Aug 27, 2014, 19:19 PM IST
LPG connection portability will be available in 480 districts, an official statement said here.Jan 22, 2014, 20:55 PM IST
The government had initially capped the supply of subsidised domestic LPG cylinders to six per household in a year in September 2012.Jan 10, 2014, 17:16 PM IST
All household LPG consumers will continue to receive subsidy even if not linked to the Adhaar card, a top oil company official said here Friday.Nov 01, 2013, 15:19 PM IST


text: Callaway Golf "swung to a larger profit in the first quarter compared with last year, thanks in part to restructuring and earlier product launches," according to Mike Freeman of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Callaway posted sales of $288M and a profit of $42M, or 47 cents per share in Q1. That is "up from revenue" of $285M and earnings of 37 cents a share for the same quarter last year. Wall Street analysts "had forecast" $284.5M in sales and earnings of 21 cents a share for Q1. Callaway President & CEO Chip Brewer "cautioned that poor weather this spring in Europe and in parts of North America stunted the start of the golf season." Callaway also "faces headwinds from foreign exchange rates -- particularly in Japan." As a result, the company "lowered its full year sales forecast" from $850M to $830M. But Callaway "maintained its full-year estimate for earnings -- saying it expects to break even or post a 4 cents a share loss, excluding certain charges." The company has "struggled recently in the wake of a weak global economy and stiff competition, especially from" TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Callaway's woods sales were up 10% while putter sales increased 35% year over year. Part of those "gains stemmed from releasing new products earlier this year" than in '12. But Brewer said that he was "pleased with the rate in which the company’s products were selling, particularly its X-Hot fairway woods" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/26). At presstime, shares of Callaway Golf were trading at $6.47, down 0.61% from the close yesterday (THE DAILY).


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The Semiconductor Billions
For the last 25 years, everyone in and around the semiconductor industry has been saying to each other (and I paraphrase here)
“Hey, we’re awesome, the world depends on us, it’s built on chips, cool, smiley face emoji.”
For about 23 of those years, they’ve also been saying to each other…
“Governments and industries don’t value us, the world depends on us, it’s built on chips, sob, sad face with tear emoji.”
Well, that last bit has all changed.
The industry has been hitting headlines since early 2020 when COVID set in. The sudden drop in demand and cancellation of many orders led to historically low utilisation rates and reduced capacity. But the semiconductor industry began to pick up again faster than anyone predicted, and rather than one industry at a time (i.e. computers then mobiles then smartphones) driving demand, EVERY INDUSTRY is now driving demand. So suddenly a depleted supply chain was faced with unprecedented demand.
This has led to a shortage of ICs slowing down the entire global supply chain with the automotive industry being a newsworthy example. Add to this the projections of semiconductors going from 500 billion $ today to a trillion $ in 2030, the perceived threat of ‘embedded’ cyber-attacks or leaks and the cooling to frosty levels of relations between parts of the West and China. This heady mix means that global governments have finally recognised something that the chippies have known for 25 years: semiconductors run the world.
The European Union is trying to influence the semiconductor industry to shift more into Europe. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented the EU Chips Act in February 2022. This Act allows for €15 billion of private and public investments to target semiconductor industry growth in Europe, bolstering an existing €30 billion STEM fund.
The 5 main areas of focus of the European Chip Act are:
- Research and Development to keep up with global competitors
- “From the lab to the fab” - working on bridging the gap between excellence in lab research and onshore manufacturing
- Industry production increase to meet the EU Commission goal of going from 9% to 20% of global production by 2030
- Local Support – The EU Chips Fund will create a more competitive market for semiconductor start-ups
- Overhaul the European Supply Chain and build partnerships with the United States and other nations to create a resilient global network.
After her statement, Ursula von der Leyen posted on Twitter that “Europe is the world's centre for semiconductor research. And we are strong in specific sectors, such as chips for cars and for Industry 4.0. But I want us to become a strong player all across the value chain.”
In India, the demand for semiconductors is over $10 Billion USD. There is a vibrant chip design industry in the country, and the government has a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology alongside an India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) set up within Digital India Corporation to help “drive India’s strategies for developing semiconductors and display ecosystem. The scheme has been aimed at making India a global electronics hub as a shortage of microchips hurts industrial production.”
The Minister of Electronics and Information Technology in India organised the country's first semiconductor conference in May 2022 called ‘SemiconIndia 2022’ with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, virtually inaugurating the event.
In April 2022, TSMC announced that they would be building a speciality chip fab in Japan alongside Sony. TSMC is investing up to $44 billion in 2022 to ‘beef up chip production’. From cars to data centres, robust demand for semiconductors will help TSMC grow, the CEO says. There has also been an educational reform towards the 21st century in Japan, with curriculum changes that support manufacturing skills. TSCM, among many others, is also building a new fab in the US.
Is all this investment a good idea? Of course, it makes a huge amount of sense to invest in a booming industry and all funding is welcome to the semis industry. However, the global rush for everyone to build semiconductor capacity at the same time may not be. Industry analyst and founder of Future Horizons, Malcolm Penn, says
“It’s basic pig (hog) cycle economics 101. First, no one has the experience or confidence to believe new capacity is needed, they all seek the reassurance of proof to de-risk the decision, so they all wait until this fact is blindingly obvious, proved beyond reasonable doubt, by which time the problem is really bad, and the need now really desperate, so everyone now, fueled by the ‘safety in numbers’ lemming confidence factor, invests en masse … with the net result everyone’s new capacity comes on line simultaneously, triggering a massive spike in availability and crashing the market. D’Oh.”
So there's a risk that some or much future investment could end up being sub-optimal if not deployed sensibly. Is it realistic for the EU to be a 'strong player all across the value chain'? Well, do the maths...
Skills are the arena in which an investment of millions could result in benefits of billions, in both pounds and Euros. The 'hidden layer' between demand and manufacture is - design. There is a global shortage of IC design skills - a situation that has existed pretty much since the transistor was invented. To gain a global competitive advantage, the UK and EU powers-that-be should do one simple thing: integrate electronics into secondary school curricula. Then, link schools and students to industry practitioners and 'hands-on' resources, and you will grow a generation of electronics engineers that can lead the world in designing cutting-edge products. The tragedy is that many schools are actually scaling back on electronics because of budgetary constraints. An injection of millions could turn that tragedy into triumph and generate billions in tax revenue in the years to come.
Our next step is to generate documentation to present to the UK Government with UKESF to outline in detail how we could turn millions of investments in the education system into billions in tax revenue.
Watch this space and if you want to discuss this article with us, please call 0118 988 1150.


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In the wake of the COVID-19 Coronavirus, the next few months are set to be trying for all businesses, not just clinical and aesthetics. Many companies will need to reassess how they do business going forward and how the industry landscape is going to change over the coming months.
It is a logical step that businesses will move to work remotely, and virtual technology is going to play a massive part in keeping the industry going.
Late last year, Director of MyFaceMyBody, Mr. Stephen Handisides took the unprecedented move to take the business into a virtual space. Holding the first-ever Global Aesthetic Awards virtually (after almost ten years of physical events held in London, LA, and Sydney), live streaming the event direct from Las Vegas. And GVAS, the first-ever Global Virtual Aesthetic Summit, was a virtual trade summit for the Aesthetic sector, with virtual seminars, conferences, and even a virtual networking lounge. Both events were a phenomenal success with thousands of delegates attending both events in the virtual space.
The MyFaceMyBody Virtual Global Aesthetic Awards 2020 will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2020, at 5:00 pm (PDT). The awards will be ‘virtually’ streamed live from Los Angeles, USA, into the clinics, homes, and offices of thousands of Aesthetic industry businesses, staff, surgeons and teams from around the world. These prestigious awards are the pinnacle of the Aesthetic Industry – the awards to win, to be recognised within the Aesthetics sector. The awards program is now open for submissions – and open to South African doctors, practices and businesses.
Global Aesthetic Virtual Summit
GVAS 2020 is back with not one, but two virtual events.
The Global Virtual Aesthetic Summit delivers a unique conference format. Some of the greatest minds in the Aesthetic Industry meeting in a virtual space, over 48 hours. 1,450 delegates attended last year’s event virtually from 22 countries, including America, UK, Australia, India and as far afield as Grand Cayman, Russia and the Philippines.
GVAS 2020 will build on that success with an extensive timetable that features both clinical and business programs. GVAS will host some of the world’s top Plastic Surgeons, Doctors, and Aesthetic Industry leaders to provide an unprecedented and unique clinical program. Held virtually and available in four different languages, the program will be a truly global event. Virtual visitors will be able to visit regional exhibition halls (including one for South Africa), engage with vendors, and learn about some of the latest technologies from around the world.
“COVID-19 is going to have a massive impact on businesses over the coming year. Virtual technology means that companies can still work, remain current, learn and survive. With physical events being cancelled all over the world, GVAS and MyFaceMyBody still mean that even those that are self-isolating can be involved, engage, take part and learn in a safe environment. We are helping companies by setting them up virtual meetings in GVAS where they can still have client meetings in an online space. Virtual technology is the way of the future!” said Mr. Stephen Handisides, CEO of MyFaceMyBody and GVAS.
For more information
Enter your business for the MyFaceMyBody Awards www.myfacemybody.com/gvas/awards
Register for the GVAS 2020 conferences (take advantage of the discount before 13 April) www.myfacemybody.com/gvas
If you’re interested in hosting your own virtual events, or a virtual training management system for your team and clients, contact GVAS for more info.
Rochelle is the founder and driving force behind Aesthetic Appointment. With a passion for the aesthetics and pro-ageing industry in South Africa, she has been in the aesthetic publishing industry since 2012, dedicated to creating a valuable platform for insights and knowledge, bridging the gap between patients and doctors - delivering reliable, medical-based information. Rochelle firmly believes in the power of a good skincare regimen, especially when started at home, and is committed to educating consumers about the myriad of treatments, procedures, and products available to them.


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The low-code platform from Microsoft is becoming an increasingly mature foundation for business apps of all shapes and sizes, based on this latest roadmap. Uniting citizen dev & pro dev tools and offering pahts from Power Platform tools to Azure is a common theme in 2020 Wave 2.
Have you looked at the MBAS Gallery yet? Microsoft Business Applications Summit 2019 was last week and already the majority of sessions have been published online for also non-attendees to enjoy. Even if you attended the conference in Atlanta, there’s a chance that you may have missed a few sessions, with there being 200+ of […]
Today, June 10th, at Microsoft Business Application Summit 2019 the release plan for the next wave of Dynamics 365 and Power Platform features was announced. It’s of course no surprise that this main event of the year for #MSBizApps would be used as the forum for showing what’s coming next. What kind of did surprise […]
As promised, Microsoft published the release notes for the April 2019 release wave on January 21st. Instead of just a high level blog post, there’s a huge list of items in 16 top level categories at the docs.microsoft.com site. If you want to consume the content in an offline mode, there’s a PDF version available […]
Just like last year, I was fortunate to be able to escape the chilly Finnish autumn weather to sunny and warm Orlando this September, to attend the Microsoft Ignite 2018 conference. This time my visit to Florida did not contain a whole lot of sunlight, though, as my stay in that region was focused strictly […]
The October ’18 of Microsoft Business Applications is going to bring a whole bunch of exciting features, spread across the huge stack of products and apps that either make up or operate on the Power Platform. Much of them will be specific to an area that only some of the users or developers work with […]


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Tablets go mainstream in UK, play key role in digital lives
Kantar Media's FutureProof study reveals the continuing popularity of tablets. The devices have become mainstream in the UK with almost half of the country's 16-44 year olds owning or having access to one.
Forty-five percent of UK adults now own a tablet, according to Kantar Media. That's up from 36% at the end of 2013. Among those of ages 35-44 penetration rises to 58%, some of whom have more than one tablet in their household.
Tablets have become the 'go to' mobile device for catching up with television shows. More people access the BBC's iPlayer catch up service on a tablet than via any other device, probably due to the larger screen size.
Apple remains the market leader with 56% of tablet users owning an iPad, although this is a decrease from six months ago when 63% owned an iPad. Meanwhile, Android ownership is up - more than a third (37%) of tablet owners now own an Android up 10 percentage points from last year.
However, despite being a mobile device many (44%) never take their tablet out of the home.
According to Kantar Media Custom director, Trevor Vagg, tablets are now a "need to have" device rather than simply "nice to have" and are rapidly becoming an important part of people's digital lives.
"The arrival of cheaper Android based tablets such as Tesco's Hudl and the Kindle Fire has turned what was a premium device into something that's much more ubiquitous but also increasingly as personal as the smartphone we use when we are on the go," says Vagg. "These shifts open new doors for advertisers in terms of targeted messaging opportunities."
Recent Usablenet forecasts show that more tablets will be shipped in 2015 than desktops and laptops combined.
Image via Shutterstock
- Release makes push notifications actionable
- Early results show skipping ads improves engagement
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- Pinterest gives businesses a deeper peek into their Pinners
- Parents give retailers advice on making back-to-school shopping more bearable
- Study reveals impact of mobile use on Japanese students' grades
- Poll: SMB owners voting out incumbents
- How to improve worker productivity
Featured White Papers
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Organic search delivers high-quality traffic and revenue with a high contribution margin. But organic search is hard, and it's getting...
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This week on whathifi.com we've been reporting live from LG HQ in Seoul about the launch of its OLED TVs, as well as comments by the South Korean firm on any future release of Apple's long-rumoured TV.
Yamaha's launch of its 2013 US Aventage AV receiver range is a taste of what's to come here in the UK, while Sharp's financial woes continue with rumours building that the firm is willing to sell its stake in Pioneer. Meanwhile Onkyo announced a new range of in-ear and over-ear headphones.
New reviews arrived in the form of B&Ws long-awaited Z2, Panasonic's latest effort in the plasma market and another top-quality TV from Samsung. Read on for all the details.
Surprising everyone this year with a curved OLED 3D TV at CES, the South Korean firm LG has cemented plans to release the TV in the near future with the "second half of 2013" reported as a launch window.
LG also expects substantial numbers of OLED and 4K TVs to be sold over the next 24 months, despite a slow start with just 200 OLED models having been sold in South Korea so far.
The electronics giant also conveyed that now "is not the right time for Apple to enter the TV market".
A mere month after announcing the line-up of its first 2013 UK AV receivers, Yamaha has rolled out the first of its Aventage range with the RXV-A730 and the RXV-A830. Out in the US next month, UK availability and prices have yet to be announced.
Reports in the Japanese financial press have suggested that Sharp is looking to turn around its current financial woes by selling its 9.2% stake in Pioneer. It is thought that Sharp will put the proceeds towards alleviating the com[pany's debt.
Previewed in Japan last year, more details emerged on Onkyo's latest headphone range at an event in London. Also announced at the event was Onkyo's alliance with Nashville-based instrument manufacturer Gibson Guitars.
Held back after Apple's announcement of its new lightning dock last year, the long-awaited Z2 has made its way to our test rooms. Supplanting the Zeppelin Mini, it's what we've come to expect from B&W, terrific aesthetics married with great sound.
We've long been fans of Panasonic's plasma TVs and with the company's recent announcement that it's stopped any further R&D on plasma panels, it looks as if the terrific PS55VT65B might be the last of the breed.
With the UE55F8000 recently in our testing rooms, Samsung has set the bar high for TVs in 2013. Then second new model we've seen, the Samsung UE46F7000, more than matches it.
By Joe Cox


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Apple iPhone X tops sales chart in Q1 2018
IHS Markit says Apple and Samsung models made up all top ten models of phone shipped worldwide in Q1
Apple and Samsung topped the list for the most popular smartphone models in the first quarter of this year, according to IHS Markit.
The business information company said that Apple's iPhone X was the market leader, with 12.7 million units shipped in the quarter, followed by the iPhone 8, which sold 8.5m units, and the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime Plus which sold 8.3m.
Overall, the global market saw 345.5 million units shipped in the first quarter of 2018. The top ten leading models were all from Apple or Samsung.
"Apple has secured the first and second ranking for the most-shipped smartphone model for many years," said Jusy Hong, director of consumer devices, for IHS Markit. "The iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 ranked first and second in the first quarter last year. Apple and Samsung maintained the same ranking as last year - replacing existing models with the latest models from this year."
However, overall shipment volume of new models declined for Apple this year. The company shipped 35.6 million combined units of iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 7 in the first quarter of 2017, but the combined shipment volume of this year's top two models declined to 21.2 million units.
"Although Apple's newest model shipment volume declined, the company announced good earnings in the first quarter, mainly because of price increases in the iPhone 8 series and the super-premium price of the iPhone X," Hong said.
The number of sale-priced iPhone models is on the rise, which means Apple is selling more older models. To increase the share of its latest models in the total iPhone sales volume, Apple is likely to expand its iPhone X form factor to new three new models, which are expected to launch in the second half of this year, including two models with AMOLED displays and one with an LCD panel.
"Manufacturers are keen on displays, because they are a visible upgrade that can be easily monetized with consumers," Hong said. "These upgrades will also increase Apple's share of new models this year."
The latest flagship models of Samsung's Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus ranked fifth and seventh, respectively, in the quarterly "Smartphone Model Market Tracker" from IHS Markit. Samsung released its new flagship models in March this year, while its earlier models were released in April 2017. The most-shipped smartphone model from Samsung is the Galaxy Grand Prime Plus, a low-tier smartphone released in November 2016. This model was the second most-shipped smartphone model in 2017 and it continues to sell well this year.
Chinese smartphone manufacturers have grown their global smartphone market share. However, few individual models from these manufacturers reach comparable scale with Apple and Samsung models. Delay of new model releases from Huawei, Xiaomi and Vivo is one reason there aren't any smartphone models from Chinese manufacturers in the top 10 list.
Top ten phones in Q1 2018
1 iPhone X
2 iPhone 8
3 Galaxy Grand Prime Plus
4 iPhone 8 Plus
5 Galaxy S9 Plus
6 Galaxy On5 (2016)
7 Galaxy S9
8 iPhone 7
9 iPhone 6
10 Galaxy J7


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The release of the highly anticipated iPhone 15 lineup has taken an unexpected turn, as Apple announced a delay of 3 to 4 weeks for the launch of the iPhone 15 Pro Max model. This news has left tech enthusiasts and consumers eagerly awaiting the flagship device while raising questions about the potential implications for Apple’s market strategy.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, touted as the pinnacle of the iPhone 15 series, was initially slated for release alongside its counterparts, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. However, a statement from Apple’s spokesperson cited unforeseen production challenges as the primary reason behind the setback. The company assured its customer base that it is working diligently to address these issues and is committed to delivering a top-quality product.
Reactions were mixed as the delay announcement spread across social media platforms and tech news outlets. Some loyal Apple fans expressed disappointment, while others appreciated the company’s transparency regarding their challenges. Industry experts speculated that the delay could be attributed to the advanced technology and features packed into the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which may require more intricate manufacturing processes.
Impact Apple’s overall sales strategy for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max series
Market analysts are closely observing the situation, noting that the delay of the flagship model could impact Apple’s overall sales strategy for the iPhone 15 series. With the Pro Max model typically appealing to tech enthusiasts and early adopters, a delay might cause potential customers to reconsider their purchase decisions or opt for alternative models within the lineup.
Apple’s stock experienced a slight dip after the delayed announcement but quickly stabilized. Investors seem to be adopting a wait-and-see approach, acknowledging that delays in product launches can occur within the tech industry. The impact on Apple’s financial performance will likely depend on the duration of the delay and how effectively the company addresses the production challenges.
Apple has a history of generating significant buzz around its product launches, often leading to long lines outside stores and a rush to pre-order new devices. This delay could alter the company’s carefully orchestrated launch schedule, affecting the excitement and momentum surrounding the release of a new iPhone.
In the coming weeks, Apple’s ability to navigate these challenges and communicate clearly to its customers will be crucial. While the delay might test the patience of some die-hard fans, Apple’s track record suggests that the company will prioritize delivering a high-quality product, even if it means a slightly longer wait.
As the tech community keeps a watchful eye on developments, consumers worldwide are left to ponder whether the delay is a minor bump in the road or an indication of more significant challenges Apple faces behind the scenes. Only time will reveal the full extent of the impact of this delay on Apple’s brand perception and market performance.


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An unusually long cruise season ended on Friday December 14, the final cruise ship of the year will call at the Port of Gothenburg. The season started on April 4 and ended today with the arrival of 800 passengers on the German cruise ship Albatros.
Gothenburg as a cruise destination has seen a veritable explosion in recent years – during the 2010s the number of passengers has been over 50,000 each year. This makes Gothenburg the third-largest cruise destination in Sweden.
“Gothenburg is a highly popular cruise destination. Visitors like the atmosphere in the city, the range of restaurants, cafes and shopping, and the fact that nearly everything is within walking distance,” said Maria Särnholm, Cruise Manager at Göteborg & Co.
The majority who cruise to Gothenburg are German, British and American. Together, they spend around 60 million kronor in the city during the season.
New America Cruise Terminal popular among visitors
Nearly half of the 43 cruise ships of the year berthed at the historic America Cruise Terminal in the inner harbour area, which was newly reopened this year. It was from here that the large ocean-going liners set sail for New York, starting back in 1915 and continuing well into the 1970s. In April, the much-revered America Cruise Terminal was brought back to life, and it can now once again welcome international cruise visitors to Gothenburg.


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HAMMOND, La. (BRPROUD) – The Hammond Police Department is investigating an armed robbery at a local AT&T store.
The armed robbery took place around 10 a.m., on Friday, May 6, at a store located at 2807 West Thomas St.
“Upon arrival, HPD officers learned that an unknown black male—wearing a dark hoodie jacket, dark pants, face masks and gloves—entered the business armed with a firearm and told an employee and a customer to move to the rear of the business,” according to the Hammond Police Department.
After that, the store employee was forced to open and empty a secured safe.
The suspect made off with Apple and Samsung products.
HPD says, “The suspect left the business using a side door and proceeded to run towards the parking lot of Lowe’s.”
Investigators are asking the public to be on the lookout for the vehicle pictured below.
HPD believes that the pictured vehicle was the getaway vehicle for the suspect.
“The suspect’s vehicle appears to be a black Chevrolet Avalanche,” according to the Hammond Police Department.
If you know who this suspect is or where they are located, please call Detective Dustin Williams with the Hammond Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 985-277-5755 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Source: Evening Standard https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/sledgehammer-thugs-target-highend-knightsbridge-jewellers-in-smashandgrab-in-front-of-stunned-a3613086.html
The main entrance to the jewellers is on Sloane Street but the thieves broke through the window on Basil Street.
The shop sells luxury watches by the likes of Patek Phillipe and high-end jewellery.
A Boodles staff member said that although in shock no workers in the jewellers had been injured in the raid.
He said: "Everybody is ok no one has been injured. it's a shock though. They didn't get away with that much."
A Boodles spokesperson said: "I can confirm that there was unfortunately a robbery at Boodles Knightsbridge showroom this morning. I can also confirm that nobody has been hurt. The police are handling the situation and Boodles is unable to comment any further."
Police said there were no reports of any injuries and that no arrests had been made.
A Met Police spokesman said: “Police are investigating after the robbery of a jewellers in Chelsea.


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- Inside the rush to open Toronto’s first (and so far only) legal pot shop
The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. on Queen St. W. will be the only one of five licenced pot stores in Toronto open on Monday. Co-owner Hunny Gawri is betting a one-on-one retail experience catered by specialist “budtenders” will appeal to cannabis neophytes.
- Ontario’s cannabis retail lottery will have just 25 winners. But is it a smart approach, or a golden ticket to nowhere?
A Friday draw will choose the first people or companies who can apply for a pot-store retail licence. It’s a process that drew thousands of entrants, but also one that has divided industry experts.


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On “Red Cup Day,” Starbucks employees went on strike
On “Red Cup Day,” Starbucks employees went on strike at more than 100 stores across the country.
More than 100 Starbucks locations across the United States will be closed on Thursday for the largest strike by employees since a campaign to unionize the company’s stores began late last year.
The walkouts are taking place at the same time as Starbucks’ annual Red Cup Day, during which the coffee chain gives away free reusable cups to customers who purchase a holiday beverage.
Employees report that it is typically one of the busiest days of the entire year.
Starbucks did not wish to comment on the number of red cups it intends to distribute.
Workers have expressed a desire for improved pay, more stable work schedules, and increased staffing levels in busy retail establishments.
Starbucks Workers United, the group leading the strike, claimed that stores in 25 states intended to participate.
The striking workers are distributing red cups emblazoned with their union’s logo.
Here are some comments made by the public:
What if Starbucks starts to invest in autonomous coffee shops, like the one in Singapore which uses “Ella”
Support! I started boycotting SB when I found out SB retaliates against employees who want to unionize.
I stand in solidarity with Starbuck workers. Bazillionaires can pay a liveable wage in 2022-23! No one should have to work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet!
So, you want more money, so I will have to pay more money for a coffee (pour liquid in cup). I think there are other people that need the money and work that are willing to replace you before I pay 5 dollars for a venti pike place roast. If not, well then this opens the opportunity for competition.
The union does not need to leech off of workers and their consumers when the only labor is to pour something in a vessel. Tuff times, but I can save money by buying my own starbucks coffee and making it at home.
I really think the crux of the matter is all the food you have to microwave, does that make you feel like a chef? or a taco bell worker? Well I hope a new counter coffee company rises up…should I start shopping at Dutch Bros. Coffee?
whats their plan when the starbucks they work goes out of business and closes down because they stopped making money ? they just gonna ask for a transfer to a new one ?
they could all quit right now and nobody would care because there are so many coffee places around seattle. there so many coffe shops around here all the customers have to do is walk across the street to find another coffee shop that doesnt have a protest out front.
Justin is an avid fan of cars and loves to take them for a spin around the block. Justin also has a bit of a blogging side hustle that he enjoys, as well as being a fan of Manchester United Football Club. When he’s not blogging or driving, Justin can be found playing with his two cats.